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Den talibanske Cricketklubben
Delvis basert på virkelige hendelser: Taliban prøvde å komme med i den internasjonale cricketforeningen i 2001. Rukhsana er en oppvakt 24-årig journalist, som jobber for Kabul Daily i Afghanistan. Hun har også ansvaret for sin kreftsyke mor og lillebror Jahan. En dag blir Rukhsana innkalt til ministeren for utbredelse av dyd og forebyggelse av last. Han forteller pressen at Taliban har funnet en ny vei til internasjonal anerkjennelse: Cricket! Gjennom sport skal Talibans ledelse vise at de er humane og demokratiske. De som velges ut til laget får reise til Pakistan for trening. Rukshana spilte cricket da hun studerte i Delhi, og hun bestemmer seg for å lære bort spillet til broren og alle fetterne, så de skal få sjansen til å flykte fra Afghanistan. Selv har hun en forlovede som venter på henne i USA, men dydighetsministeren har andre planer for Rukhsana.
364 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2012
184 people are currently reading
2325 people want to read
About the author
Timeri N. Murari
36 books37 followersTimeri Murari is an award winning writer, filmmaker, and playwright, who began his career as journalist on the Kingston Whig Standard in Ontario, Canada. He writes for the Guardian, Sunday Times, and other magazines and newspapers internationally. He has published both fiction and non-fiction, and his bestselling novel, Taj, was translated into 19 lanugages and has recently been reissued by Penguin India. In 2006, he published a memoir, My Temporary Son, exploring the difficulties of adopting a desperately ill orphan. Timeri now lives with his wife in his ancestral home of Chennai, India.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 534 reviews
September 27, 2021
This book is set in Afghanistan during the rein of the Taliban, having read all of Khaled Hosseni's books I am very interested in both this country and the rein of these monsters.
This book is horrific and you just can't imagine the circumstances in which these people lived. I feel the author described it well and sensitivity.
I couldn't help but bond with these characters. Having lived in the Middle East for 9 years now these stories will always touch my heart.
Thoroughly recommend, its harrowing but needs to be read to promote awareness of the issues still faced in some parts of the world.
2021 update - Here we go again watching history repeat itself :(
This book is horrific and you just can't imagine the circumstances in which these people lived. I feel the author described it well and sensitivity.
I couldn't help but bond with these characters. Having lived in the Middle East for 9 years now these stories will always touch my heart.
Thoroughly recommend, its harrowing but needs to be read to promote awareness of the issues still faced in some parts of the world.
2021 update - Here we go again watching history repeat itself :(
January 4, 2013
Ever go online and watch the execution back in 1999 of the woman covered in a burqa as she knelt down on the field at Kabul's Olympic Stadium? For some reason, I did. Maybe because I needed to see it to believe it.
I remember after 9/11 when suddenly the Bush administration jumped on the bandwagon, speaking out about how atrociously the Taliban treated women—like they hadn't been for some time already—using this as another reason to convince the American people of the "right" for an American invasion. I remember my liberal feminism flaring, incensed that this issue was being used for political reasons, even while I was happy that the plight of Afghan women was finally getting more publicity.
The reality of life under the Taliban, especially for women, is at the heart of "The Taliban Cricket Club." In regard to the title, the Taliban actually did apply to become a part of the International Cricket Council in 2000, but the application was declined. But author Murari takes this premise and follows through with the "what if" via her main character Rukhsana. She feels crushed, smothered, and in a constant state of fear by life under that Taliban, especially after having the joy and freedom of working at a local newspaper and living for a time in India.
I found Murari quite successful in describing the aura of life for people under the Taliban. Just the scene of women in the family having to learn how to wear and walk in a burqa was staggering. It's a world of which we have no idea, thank god.
In the end, this is a feel good book for the characters involved, but for me there was a lingering ache knowing that in reality, life in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls, is still a struggle, the Taliban still striving to force their rigid beliefs and way of life on this highly troubled land.
I remember after 9/11 when suddenly the Bush administration jumped on the bandwagon, speaking out about how atrociously the Taliban treated women—like they hadn't been for some time already—using this as another reason to convince the American people of the "right" for an American invasion. I remember my liberal feminism flaring, incensed that this issue was being used for political reasons, even while I was happy that the plight of Afghan women was finally getting more publicity.
The reality of life under the Taliban, especially for women, is at the heart of "The Taliban Cricket Club." In regard to the title, the Taliban actually did apply to become a part of the International Cricket Council in 2000, but the application was declined. But author Murari takes this premise and follows through with the "what if" via her main character Rukhsana. She feels crushed, smothered, and in a constant state of fear by life under that Taliban, especially after having the joy and freedom of working at a local newspaper and living for a time in India.
I found Murari quite successful in describing the aura of life for people under the Taliban. Just the scene of women in the family having to learn how to wear and walk in a burqa was staggering. It's a world of which we have no idea, thank god.
In the end, this is a feel good book for the characters involved, but for me there was a lingering ache knowing that in reality, life in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls, is still a struggle, the Taliban still striving to force their rigid beliefs and way of life on this highly troubled land.
February 21, 2017
This book has nothing of what I'm looking for while reading: it doesn't teach me something new, I couldn't relate to any of the characters and wasn't involved emotionally. It also wasn't entertaining: the events are predictable, the story line is clichéd and not believable; there are also a lot of details that aren't accurate. For example the fake beard: I don't think it can be made of female hair because a beard has frizzy hair so everybody would see the difference. Also, this fake beard was attached with Velcro but how was the other part of the Velcro attached to the skin? The character that uses this fake beard puts it on and takes it away too easily. It's full of such strange details and this made the story even less credible.
The characters aren't well defined and they have no nuances. Though there are some bad happenings for which the reader should feel for the characters, I couldn't relate to their feelings because I already knew that the story would have a happy end. This because despite the sad happenings the characters had always a lot of luck so every bad happening was followed by a good one. This too made the story not credible. It seemed that the author wanted the reader to feel for them but he didn't succeed. Also the dialogues weren't good: too short, cold and detached. Also this didn't make the characters look real.
There was too much Cricket in it. I don't know anything about this game and though I've looked for it on the internet I'm not able to understand the rules. This made the reading experience even worse because the pages about Cricket were for me incomprehensible so I couldn't feel the excitement for the game.
The characters aren't well defined and they have no nuances. Though there are some bad happenings for which the reader should feel for the characters, I couldn't relate to their feelings because I already knew that the story would have a happy end. This because despite the sad happenings the characters had always a lot of luck so every bad happening was followed by a good one. This too made the story not credible. It seemed that the author wanted the reader to feel for them but he didn't succeed. Also the dialogues weren't good: too short, cold and detached. Also this didn't make the characters look real.
There was too much Cricket in it. I don't know anything about this game and though I've looked for it on the internet I'm not able to understand the rules. This made the reading experience even worse because the pages about Cricket were for me incomprehensible so I couldn't feel the excitement for the game.
June 13, 2012
The Taliban Cricket Club is a moving story of family, friendship, honor, and courage in the face of the horrors of war.
In a world where women are no longer permitted to have rights and freedoms, Rukhsana continues to risk her life by writing stories about the cruelty of the Taliban. She along with other journalists, are summoned to appear before the “Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.” They stand in line, expecting to meet their end in front of a firing squad; but are spared after being informed that they will write what they are told to write in order to remain among the living. Rukhsana is violently reminded that if she is caught writing anything it will bring her death.
The journalists are informed that the Taliban (which banned sports of all kinds) intends to hold a cricket tournament and become part of the world cricket organization, creating an air of respectability and sportsmanship to their regime. The winners will be flown from Kabul to Afghanistan to train and compete. Rukhsana sees this farce as an opportunity to get her brother and her male cousins out of Kabul to a place where they can escape to freedom more easily. She uses her cricket experience from university (and the days where women had rights) to secretly train her team to win; while also planning her own escape from the hell they live in under Taliban rule.
Murari’s story grabbed my attention immediately. The heartlessness and brutality of war is present throughout the book, as are lighthearted and moving moments. The writing is fast paced. The characters are well written. It was a difficult book to set aside. I found myself drawn into the story and wanting to know the outcome: wanting fellowship to defeat tyranny. The Taliban Cricket Club was a fantastic read! It’s not the sort of book I would have gravitated to, but I’m glad it landed in my hands. I highly recommend this one!
Special thanks to HarperCollins Canada and goodreads, for an advance reader’s copy!
In a world where women are no longer permitted to have rights and freedoms, Rukhsana continues to risk her life by writing stories about the cruelty of the Taliban. She along with other journalists, are summoned to appear before the “Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.” They stand in line, expecting to meet their end in front of a firing squad; but are spared after being informed that they will write what they are told to write in order to remain among the living. Rukhsana is violently reminded that if she is caught writing anything it will bring her death.
The journalists are informed that the Taliban (which banned sports of all kinds) intends to hold a cricket tournament and become part of the world cricket organization, creating an air of respectability and sportsmanship to their regime. The winners will be flown from Kabul to Afghanistan to train and compete. Rukhsana sees this farce as an opportunity to get her brother and her male cousins out of Kabul to a place where they can escape to freedom more easily. She uses her cricket experience from university (and the days where women had rights) to secretly train her team to win; while also planning her own escape from the hell they live in under Taliban rule.
Murari’s story grabbed my attention immediately. The heartlessness and brutality of war is present throughout the book, as are lighthearted and moving moments. The writing is fast paced. The characters are well written. It was a difficult book to set aside. I found myself drawn into the story and wanting to know the outcome: wanting fellowship to defeat tyranny. The Taliban Cricket Club was a fantastic read! It’s not the sort of book I would have gravitated to, but I’m glad it landed in my hands. I highly recommend this one!
Special thanks to HarperCollins Canada and goodreads, for an advance reader’s copy!
May 14, 2024
Life in Kabul has become a sellable literary genre of its own. The success of The Kite Runner opened the flood gates and there is no stopping since then. From fiction to nonfiction to memoirs, if the book mentions Kabul, women abuse and Taliban, chances are that it will get a publisher or two with some decent marketing budget. If a book as shoddily written as Kabul Beauty School can triumph at international best seller lists, then The Taliban Cricket Club should be considered a master piece but boy, is it a bad book or what!
I generally have no love lost for all things Afghanistan and Kabul, probably because I have lived too close to most things described in those books and also because I have been to Afghanistan and I always find the book version of Kabul very unreal and caricature like. I picked up The Taliban Cricket Club at the local library during the T20 World Cup when I was feeling homesick and missing cricket and live tweeting and cursing with my friends and fellow compatriots because that’s always so much fun (and heartache when your team lose). The book, however, turned out to be a major disappointment.
For starters, the introduction of Rukhsana as a spirited young journalist ticked just about every cliché that ever existed about spirited young femalejournalist ever. As a person who has been that spirited young female journalist, it was major yawn fest. When we are young and spirited, we do not think everything through like Rukhsana, we do things because we believe in ourselves and the power of written word and the naivety that it can bring about the desired change, but I digress.
The plot is simple. Taliban are ruling Afghanistan and things are awful. One day, they call all journalists, including our spirited protagonist Rukhsana, to announce that they are keen on developing an Afghan cricket team. There would be a local tournament with local teams and the best of the best would make up for a national team which will first travel to Pakistan to get trained and would then tour the rest of the world. According to the book, no one in Kabul knew how to play cricket except for Rukhsana, which is the biggest bull shit ever because Pathans from both sides of the border have been mingling each other to not know about cricket.
How does our heroine know so much about cricket if she grew up in Afghanistan and living under Taliban? Well, for starters, her childhood friend and betrothed had friends in Lahore who taught him how to play cricket and he in turn taught Rukhsana and then played with her in their compound. Secondly, she went to college in India and played for her college team in Delhi which apparently made her an expert in the game. Rukhsana comes up with the plan to teach her teenage brother and her cousins to play cricket so that they can escape Afghanistan and brutal Taliban regime.
Apart from the rather weak story line, there are things that irritated me to no end about the book. One was this four page long tirade about how cricket is a genteel game that epitomizes fair play and equality. I wondered if the writer was not familiar with competitive sport that is cricket these days. What he wrote about was an afternoon friendly match in a rural England after Sunday lunch where everyone was bit mellow after food and a pint or two of beer. It is not the game where Hansie Cronje lost his life, Mohammed Azharuddin lost his reputation and young Mohammed Amir lost his career.
The other thing that got my beef (no pun intended) was Rukhsana’s mother asking her to get vegetables for ‘quorma’. As a person who has cooked ‘quorma’ innumerable times, the only vegetable used in that dish is onion and that too to make gravy. The writer should’ve checked quorma recipe if he really wanted to include that in his book, it would’ve been better if he had not named the dish or just called it a stew. I know it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot but I do get irritated with such lazy writing. Is it too much to run a google search when you are writing a book?
If there is a protagonist in the story, there has got to be an antagonist. Zorak Wahidi was that villain – at times so cartoonish that I ended up picturing Teja and Crime Master Gogo instead of this fearsome bearded Taliban minister. When summoned, Rukhsana went to see this minister of vice and virtue with her teenage brother and a couple of cousins. The whole scene where he killed a couple for adultery in front of them and how some other Talib dudes ogled at her brother had me rolling my eyes instead of feeling the terror and muster sympathy for them. As if random killing was not enough, the villain had to seek our heroine’s hand in marriage because that’s what evil villains do, seek hand of fair maidens in marriage when they get a break from killing random people.
Like a true heroine, Rukhsana is not without her share of better suitors. There is Shaheen, her well mannered, well educated, banker childhood betrothed living in USA. He is perfect on paper and Shaheen kind of knew that she would end up with him but she declined a formal engagement not one but four times because her heart belonged to someone else – an Indian dude – a documentary film maker named Veer. I mean seriously? Have we not all seen Veer Zara already?
The chapters about her learning cricket and them dating in India were meh! Their first kiss was bleh! There was a page long text about Rukhsana’s awaked sexuality and maturity with that one single kiss in the back seat of a cinema in Delhi at the ripe old age of 17 was so corny that I wanted to scream like a banshee. I mean Hello! If that Veer character’s kiss was so magical, he should have started bottling and selling it to become the next Ambani.
Among other things, the book tells us that Pakistanis are generally bad people. I know that there is not a lot of love lost between Afghans and Pakistanis but the way it was written, it was clear that it was not written with an Afghan perspective but an obviously Indian one. A good writer needs to find a voice for his or her characters, not force his own voice onto them. Mr Murari – the writer – obviously failed to do that.
In the end, it was the Indian love interest Veer – the man with magical kisses – who came to Kabul to save the day and win Rukhsana’s team the cricket tournament which enabled them to get to Pakistan and then run away to other parts of the world. As he was an NRI, he had a wad of Benjamins to help the Afghan cousins of the heroine to get them to their desired parts of the world. The fact that the captain of the opposing cricket team was named Waseem (the bad guy of course) and had played for a club in Rawalpindi was not lost on the readers.
The writer Timeri N. Murari is apparently a big writer in India but this book was absolute shit. I can totally picture how he came about the plot. It must have been one long weekend when he watched both Lagaan and Veer Zara on TV and then some news about Talibaan and had some bad idli and sambar and thought, I too can write a saga comprising of various countries and escape from Afghanistan and become next Khaled Hoseini. I mean it has cricket, inter faith cross border romance and a feisty heroine, what else would the public want? Errr how about some originality, research and some heart. Honestly, it was one of those stories where you end up rooting for the villain which in this case was the Taliban minister for vice and virtue. Yes, this book made me root for a Talib and that is quite a feat.
I would give this book half a star for the effort it must have taken the writer to sit down and write all 336 pages. The story is clichéd and predictable with boring uni dimensional characters ad really bad narrative. You want to slap the hell outta the protagonist by the end of it.
I generally have no love lost for all things Afghanistan and Kabul, probably because I have lived too close to most things described in those books and also because I have been to Afghanistan and I always find the book version of Kabul very unreal and caricature like. I picked up The Taliban Cricket Club at the local library during the T20 World Cup when I was feeling homesick and missing cricket and live tweeting and cursing with my friends and fellow compatriots because that’s always so much fun (and heartache when your team lose). The book, however, turned out to be a major disappointment.
For starters, the introduction of Rukhsana as a spirited young journalist ticked just about every cliché that ever existed about spirited young femalejournalist ever. As a person who has been that spirited young female journalist, it was major yawn fest. When we are young and spirited, we do not think everything through like Rukhsana, we do things because we believe in ourselves and the power of written word and the naivety that it can bring about the desired change, but I digress.
The plot is simple. Taliban are ruling Afghanistan and things are awful. One day, they call all journalists, including our spirited protagonist Rukhsana, to announce that they are keen on developing an Afghan cricket team. There would be a local tournament with local teams and the best of the best would make up for a national team which will first travel to Pakistan to get trained and would then tour the rest of the world. According to the book, no one in Kabul knew how to play cricket except for Rukhsana, which is the biggest bull shit ever because Pathans from both sides of the border have been mingling each other to not know about cricket.
How does our heroine know so much about cricket if she grew up in Afghanistan and living under Taliban? Well, for starters, her childhood friend and betrothed had friends in Lahore who taught him how to play cricket and he in turn taught Rukhsana and then played with her in their compound. Secondly, she went to college in India and played for her college team in Delhi which apparently made her an expert in the game. Rukhsana comes up with the plan to teach her teenage brother and her cousins to play cricket so that they can escape Afghanistan and brutal Taliban regime.
Apart from the rather weak story line, there are things that irritated me to no end about the book. One was this four page long tirade about how cricket is a genteel game that epitomizes fair play and equality. I wondered if the writer was not familiar with competitive sport that is cricket these days. What he wrote about was an afternoon friendly match in a rural England after Sunday lunch where everyone was bit mellow after food and a pint or two of beer. It is not the game where Hansie Cronje lost his life, Mohammed Azharuddin lost his reputation and young Mohammed Amir lost his career.
The other thing that got my beef (no pun intended) was Rukhsana’s mother asking her to get vegetables for ‘quorma’. As a person who has cooked ‘quorma’ innumerable times, the only vegetable used in that dish is onion and that too to make gravy. The writer should’ve checked quorma recipe if he really wanted to include that in his book, it would’ve been better if he had not named the dish or just called it a stew. I know it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot but I do get irritated with such lazy writing. Is it too much to run a google search when you are writing a book?
If there is a protagonist in the story, there has got to be an antagonist. Zorak Wahidi was that villain – at times so cartoonish that I ended up picturing Teja and Crime Master Gogo instead of this fearsome bearded Taliban minister. When summoned, Rukhsana went to see this minister of vice and virtue with her teenage brother and a couple of cousins. The whole scene where he killed a couple for adultery in front of them and how some other Talib dudes ogled at her brother had me rolling my eyes instead of feeling the terror and muster sympathy for them. As if random killing was not enough, the villain had to seek our heroine’s hand in marriage because that’s what evil villains do, seek hand of fair maidens in marriage when they get a break from killing random people.
Like a true heroine, Rukhsana is not without her share of better suitors. There is Shaheen, her well mannered, well educated, banker childhood betrothed living in USA. He is perfect on paper and Shaheen kind of knew that she would end up with him but she declined a formal engagement not one but four times because her heart belonged to someone else – an Indian dude – a documentary film maker named Veer. I mean seriously? Have we not all seen Veer Zara already?
The chapters about her learning cricket and them dating in India were meh! Their first kiss was bleh! There was a page long text about Rukhsana’s awaked sexuality and maturity with that one single kiss in the back seat of a cinema in Delhi at the ripe old age of 17 was so corny that I wanted to scream like a banshee. I mean Hello! If that Veer character’s kiss was so magical, he should have started bottling and selling it to become the next Ambani.
Among other things, the book tells us that Pakistanis are generally bad people. I know that there is not a lot of love lost between Afghans and Pakistanis but the way it was written, it was clear that it was not written with an Afghan perspective but an obviously Indian one. A good writer needs to find a voice for his or her characters, not force his own voice onto them. Mr Murari – the writer – obviously failed to do that.
In the end, it was the Indian love interest Veer – the man with magical kisses – who came to Kabul to save the day and win Rukhsana’s team the cricket tournament which enabled them to get to Pakistan and then run away to other parts of the world. As he was an NRI, he had a wad of Benjamins to help the Afghan cousins of the heroine to get them to their desired parts of the world. The fact that the captain of the opposing cricket team was named Waseem (the bad guy of course) and had played for a club in Rawalpindi was not lost on the readers.
The writer Timeri N. Murari is apparently a big writer in India but this book was absolute shit. I can totally picture how he came about the plot. It must have been one long weekend when he watched both Lagaan and Veer Zara on TV and then some news about Talibaan and had some bad idli and sambar and thought, I too can write a saga comprising of various countries and escape from Afghanistan and become next Khaled Hoseini. I mean it has cricket, inter faith cross border romance and a feisty heroine, what else would the public want? Errr how about some originality, research and some heart. Honestly, it was one of those stories where you end up rooting for the villain which in this case was the Taliban minister for vice and virtue. Yes, this book made me root for a Talib and that is quite a feat.
I would give this book half a star for the effort it must have taken the writer to sit down and write all 336 pages. The story is clichéd and predictable with boring uni dimensional characters ad really bad narrative. You want to slap the hell outta the protagonist by the end of it.
June 11, 2023
In the book, The Taliban Cricket Club, Timeri N. Murari, ratchets up the tension and bone-chilling atmosphere of Kabul under the Taliban rule—and the result is a downright unputdownable thrilling novel that captivates as much with its spine-tingling terror as it does with its clever plotting.
An emotionally tough read, The Taliban Cricket Club tells a story that must not be forgotten. Based on the life of a central character, Ruksana, it centres on Kabul in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban, under which Ruksana goes through a series of horrifying events leading to a life that almost feels like a prisoner’s life. There seems no escape until the big announcement of allowing the men to play cricket comes from the Taliban itself. It lightens a new hope in the hearts of the young boys who want to get out of the country and make life worth living. Read the book to find out if the boys managed to free themselves from the brutal rule or not!
Read the full review on:
https://readreactreview21.wordpress.c...
An emotionally tough read, The Taliban Cricket Club tells a story that must not be forgotten. Based on the life of a central character, Ruksana, it centres on Kabul in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban, under which Ruksana goes through a series of horrifying events leading to a life that almost feels like a prisoner’s life. There seems no escape until the big announcement of allowing the men to play cricket comes from the Taliban itself. It lightens a new hope in the hearts of the young boys who want to get out of the country and make life worth living. Read the book to find out if the boys managed to free themselves from the brutal rule or not!
Read the full review on:
https://readreactreview21.wordpress.c...
April 7, 2013
Amazing book- absolutely loved it. Well written, heart breaking, engaging,humour and tears. There are so many issues raised by this book (not it's primary aim)it would make a great book club book. The heroine, Rukhsana is an incredible woman, brave, feisty and passionate. The book doesn't dwell on atrocities but they are there in the background. A story of courage and hope in the face of the most oppresive adversity. It says it all that I picked it up on a whim and have sat and read the whole thing in a matter of hours
September 21, 2014
What an exquisitely fine balancing act Timeri Murari pulls off in this delightful, different book. The dark brutality of rule under the Taliban contrasts with the genuine integrity and honour of Rukhsana's brother and cousins who all want to escape the country.
Rukhsana is a journalist who has come back to Kabul to honour her own obligation to care for her dying mother, as well as marry her betrothed. Left behind at university in Delhi is the man she loves. In the meantime, she has attracted the obsessive attention of Zorak Wahidi, a murderous government official in charge of the Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
In a bid to change its international image, the government decides to sponsor a cricket competition - the winning team to go to Pakistan and be coached in the finer points of the game. Rukhsana's brother Jahan and her cousins are inspired: here might be a legitimate way out of the country. But who in Afghanistan knows how to play cricket?
As it transpires, Rukhsana does. At university in cricket-mad India, she was part of a team. And she's still got the gear. And the rule book. More importantly, she has a vision of the philosophy behind cricket: its idealism, democracy, team-work, initiative. The cousins are sure the Taliban do not grasp Rukhsana's vision.
There's a big problem: playing cricket in a burkha is all but impossible. How can Rukhsana coach the family team, 'The Taliban Cricket Club', to win as well as save her brother and cousins while stuck behind a vision-obscuring veil?
If that wasn't enough, can she trust her cousins? Her brother? In a world influenced the Taliban, how does a male now think about the honour of his female relatives? What about her dying mother? What about her betrothed? What about the man she loves? What about the Minister for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice whose brother is making increasingly savage threats?
A beautifully composed book, deftly laced with humour and light, in which love, hope and genuine honour triumph in the darkest of places.
Rukhsana is a journalist who has come back to Kabul to honour her own obligation to care for her dying mother, as well as marry her betrothed. Left behind at university in Delhi is the man she loves. In the meantime, she has attracted the obsessive attention of Zorak Wahidi, a murderous government official in charge of the Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
In a bid to change its international image, the government decides to sponsor a cricket competition - the winning team to go to Pakistan and be coached in the finer points of the game. Rukhsana's brother Jahan and her cousins are inspired: here might be a legitimate way out of the country. But who in Afghanistan knows how to play cricket?
As it transpires, Rukhsana does. At university in cricket-mad India, she was part of a team. And she's still got the gear. And the rule book. More importantly, she has a vision of the philosophy behind cricket: its idealism, democracy, team-work, initiative. The cousins are sure the Taliban do not grasp Rukhsana's vision.
There's a big problem: playing cricket in a burkha is all but impossible. How can Rukhsana coach the family team, 'The Taliban Cricket Club', to win as well as save her brother and cousins while stuck behind a vision-obscuring veil?
If that wasn't enough, can she trust her cousins? Her brother? In a world influenced the Taliban, how does a male now think about the honour of his female relatives? What about her dying mother? What about her betrothed? What about the man she loves? What about the Minister for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice whose brother is making increasingly savage threats?
A beautifully composed book, deftly laced with humour and light, in which love, hope and genuine honour triumph in the darkest of places.
September 27, 2020
This is a what if story that concerns itself with the application of Taliban Afghanistan at the international Cricket Union and this was in real life ignored and in this book accepted if they can field some real cricket and team.
So some young Afghans are asked to form a cricket team and train for a small cricket tournament in Afghanistan. The leading lady Rukhsana has some experience with playing cricket in her time at university in India and she must teach her cousins the art of cricket.
Rukhsana used to be a trained journalist in Afghanistan until the Taliban came and made women secondhand citizen and this book gives enough examples of serious misogyny by the Talib towards women and with often horrific consequences. Rukhsana has also captured the interest of some high-ranking Talib person who wants to marry her and be a mother for his orphaned sons and she can be taught to be a decent wife. So Rukhsana has to train her cousins and remain hidden from the Talib so she hides in plain sight as a man, with a fake beard of course.
It is a romantic story, a comedy and manages all that with in the horrific creation of Taliban Afghanistan. And the writer delivers an insightful and entertaining novel that shows the spirit of the Afghans and manages that without wagging its finger towards anybody, unless you are a member of the Taliban, and you'd deserve it.
It is well worth your time reading this novel.
So some young Afghans are asked to form a cricket team and train for a small cricket tournament in Afghanistan. The leading lady Rukhsana has some experience with playing cricket in her time at university in India and she must teach her cousins the art of cricket.
Rukhsana used to be a trained journalist in Afghanistan until the Taliban came and made women secondhand citizen and this book gives enough examples of serious misogyny by the Talib towards women and with often horrific consequences. Rukhsana has also captured the interest of some high-ranking Talib person who wants to marry her and be a mother for his orphaned sons and she can be taught to be a decent wife. So Rukhsana has to train her cousins and remain hidden from the Talib so she hides in plain sight as a man, with a fake beard of course.
It is a romantic story, a comedy and manages all that with in the horrific creation of Taliban Afghanistan. And the writer delivers an insightful and entertaining novel that shows the spirit of the Afghans and manages that without wagging its finger towards anybody, unless you are a member of the Taliban, and you'd deserve it.
It is well worth your time reading this novel.
November 13, 2013
Die unsichtbare Frau
Immer wieder sieht man auch hier in Saarbrücken vollverschleierte Frauen mit Burka herumlaufen. Obwohl ich leider im Ruf der Toleranz stehe, halte ich das für eine verbietenswürdige Praxis - deutlicher, als eine Frau in ein Stoffgefängnis mit Sichtschlitz zu stecken, kann man seine Misogynie ja gar nicht ausdrücken. Die Quälerei, ein Leben mit solch einer Burka als "unsichtbare Frau" leben zu müssen, wird der eigentlich freigeistig erzogenen, die Welt liebenden Rukhsana (ein schöner Name, der uns in der gräzisierten Fassung Roxane im Zusammenhang mit Alexander dem Großen besser bekannt ist) unerträglich. Nicht allein die nicht unerheblichen körperlichen Einschränkungen belasten die junge Frau - das Wegschließen der Frauen vom sozialen und kulturellen Leben, die Einstufung als minderwertiges, die Männer verderbendes Wesen, das man ohne Probleme in ein Bordell verkaufen darf, vergewaltigen oder totschlagen, ist noch viel schlimmer. Ein Hund wird besser behandelt.
Die Taliban, die ein islamisches Emirat in Afghanistan errichten wollten, sehen Frauen also eh nur als Sklaven, und als dann ein Talib noch Rukhsana zur Ehe zwingen will, braucht sie einen Plan zur Flucht. Und plötzlich bietet sich die Gelegenheit in Form eines Cricket-Spiels...
Wenn mich nicht schon Fußballspiele, die ohne Zweifel dann doch noch rasanter sind als ein Cricket-Spiel, zu Tode langweilen würden, könnte ich mich vielleicht sogar mit diesem Sport anfreunden. Wer könnte nicht einen Sport lieben, in dem es Teepausen und eine "Der Geist des Spiels"-Auffassung gibt? Sehr gelungen finde ich daher genau diese Gegenüberstellung - das sehr auf gerechtes Verhalten und eine "Gentlemen"-Kultur ausgelegte Cricket-Spiel in einem von unglaublich beschränkten, brutalen, rückwärtsgewandten, menschenhassenden Menschen geführten Regime. Wie Rukhsana, ihr Bruder Jahan und die ganzen Cousins trotz dieser scheinreligiösen Fanatiker an ihrer eigenen, echten Religion festhalten, und den sich für so edel haltenden, arroganten Taliban ein Schnippchen schlagen, ist ein Plädoyer dafür, selbst in schwierigsten Umständen nie aufzugeben, und den vielleicht etwas kitschigen Glauben daran aufrechtzuerhalten, dass es doch so etwas wie Gerechtigkeit auch in dieser Welt gibt.
Ein toller Roman, unterhaltsam, informativ, spannend bis zur letzten Seite und die Aufforderung, alles zu tun, um zu verhindern, dass mittelalterliches und steinzeitliches Gedankengut, wie das der Taliban, in einer falsch verstandenen Toleranz akzeptiert werden könnte.
Immer wieder sieht man auch hier in Saarbrücken vollverschleierte Frauen mit Burka herumlaufen. Obwohl ich leider im Ruf der Toleranz stehe, halte ich das für eine verbietenswürdige Praxis - deutlicher, als eine Frau in ein Stoffgefängnis mit Sichtschlitz zu stecken, kann man seine Misogynie ja gar nicht ausdrücken. Die Quälerei, ein Leben mit solch einer Burka als "unsichtbare Frau" leben zu müssen, wird der eigentlich freigeistig erzogenen, die Welt liebenden Rukhsana (ein schöner Name, der uns in der gräzisierten Fassung Roxane im Zusammenhang mit Alexander dem Großen besser bekannt ist) unerträglich. Nicht allein die nicht unerheblichen körperlichen Einschränkungen belasten die junge Frau - das Wegschließen der Frauen vom sozialen und kulturellen Leben, die Einstufung als minderwertiges, die Männer verderbendes Wesen, das man ohne Probleme in ein Bordell verkaufen darf, vergewaltigen oder totschlagen, ist noch viel schlimmer. Ein Hund wird besser behandelt.
Die Taliban, die ein islamisches Emirat in Afghanistan errichten wollten, sehen Frauen also eh nur als Sklaven, und als dann ein Talib noch Rukhsana zur Ehe zwingen will, braucht sie einen Plan zur Flucht. Und plötzlich bietet sich die Gelegenheit in Form eines Cricket-Spiels...
Wenn mich nicht schon Fußballspiele, die ohne Zweifel dann doch noch rasanter sind als ein Cricket-Spiel, zu Tode langweilen würden, könnte ich mich vielleicht sogar mit diesem Sport anfreunden. Wer könnte nicht einen Sport lieben, in dem es Teepausen und eine "Der Geist des Spiels"-Auffassung gibt? Sehr gelungen finde ich daher genau diese Gegenüberstellung - das sehr auf gerechtes Verhalten und eine "Gentlemen"-Kultur ausgelegte Cricket-Spiel in einem von unglaublich beschränkten, brutalen, rückwärtsgewandten, menschenhassenden Menschen geführten Regime. Wie Rukhsana, ihr Bruder Jahan und die ganzen Cousins trotz dieser scheinreligiösen Fanatiker an ihrer eigenen, echten Religion festhalten, und den sich für so edel haltenden, arroganten Taliban ein Schnippchen schlagen, ist ein Plädoyer dafür, selbst in schwierigsten Umständen nie aufzugeben, und den vielleicht etwas kitschigen Glauben daran aufrechtzuerhalten, dass es doch so etwas wie Gerechtigkeit auch in dieser Welt gibt.
Ein toller Roman, unterhaltsam, informativ, spannend bis zur letzten Seite und die Aufforderung, alles zu tun, um zu verhindern, dass mittelalterliches und steinzeitliches Gedankengut, wie das der Taliban, in einer falsch verstandenen Toleranz akzeptiert werden könnte.
August 27, 2012
Maybe I've read too many novels that take place in Afghanistan or Iran because this book was just too predicable. It had a different twist to it that made it different than the other books, that being the sport Cricket. But the same story line that I see in all of these books is: Woman betrothed to someone she doesn't love or forced to marry a bad man but is really in love with someone else. This book still had an interesting story but I prefer the writing style I've read in some other Middle Eastern historical fiction novels better. This book really was just too predictable. I still had to finish to confirm my predictions.
July 27, 2014
I loved The Taliban Cricket Club and so did my husband. I was impressed at how author Timeri n Murari managed to use humour (or should I say satire) with such dangerous, dark and sad content. The mismatch of cricket with its peaceful laws and the Taliban was amusing to start with and yet the story is a well written thriller as well. Five stars for the truth, lightly and beautifully told in a memorable way.
June 15, 2014
In a Kabul under the brutal hand of the Taliban, a woman is shot dead by the religious police for venturing out without her mahram, a male relative. So what if she was headed for the hospital in a desperate bid to save her ill baby, and there was no mahram to accompany her? For Kabul in the late 90s is a horrendous place to be: vicious, merciless, ferociously repressive. Photos and cinema are banned, games are forbidden, women must never be seen without their burqas, people are executed at the drop of a hat.
Against this backdrop is set the story of 24 year old Rukhsana, who lives in Kabul with her widowed mother (now battling the last stages of cancer) and her 16 year old brother Jahan. Once a journalist but forced to quit her job by the Taliban—women must not work in jobs such as this—Rukhsana has been sneaking out reports under a pseudonym to the Hindustan Times while waiting to go to America to get married. She is under no illusions: her intended, Shaheen, and Rukhsana are just childhood friends, not in love; marriage is an obligation imposed by their families. And deep in her heart Rukhsana loves another man, knowing full well that she will never see him again.
While Rukhsana waits for her mother to die, however, two things happen: the Taliban regime announces that they've decided cricket—where the players are 'decently' clad—might be a good way of building ties with the rest of the world, so Afghanistan will apply for an ICC membership, and matches will be held to select a team to represent the country and travel to Pakistan for further coaching.
Then, Rukhsana gets a proposal—rather, an order—from Wahidi, a brutal and ruthless Taliban minister who wants to marry her.
What Wahidi does not know is that Rukhsana (who studied journalism at Delhi University and spent years in Delhi) used to be a star cricketer. What he does not know is that this courageous young woman— along with an army of young male cousins (and Jahan, her brother)— will do anything it takes to somehow form a team that can win the national tournament, and be sent to Pakistan... from where they can make their way to freedom. Or can they? For Rukhsana, her relatives and friends, things may change even as they watch.
I found Timeri N Murari's The Taliban Cricket Club an extremely readable book, virtually impossible to put down. It's a great blend of different genres: suspense, adventure (the cricket match angle gets woven in into an almost Escape to Victory style theme, just as fast-paced and edge of the seat); romance; the very occasional glimpse of humour; the pathos of Rukhsana's dying mother. And, of course, the very vivid, very real horror of a regime utterly, unbelievably tyrannical. An excellent book, very well-written, and immensely satisfying.
Against this backdrop is set the story of 24 year old Rukhsana, who lives in Kabul with her widowed mother (now battling the last stages of cancer) and her 16 year old brother Jahan. Once a journalist but forced to quit her job by the Taliban—women must not work in jobs such as this—Rukhsana has been sneaking out reports under a pseudonym to the Hindustan Times while waiting to go to America to get married. She is under no illusions: her intended, Shaheen, and Rukhsana are just childhood friends, not in love; marriage is an obligation imposed by their families. And deep in her heart Rukhsana loves another man, knowing full well that she will never see him again.
While Rukhsana waits for her mother to die, however, two things happen: the Taliban regime announces that they've decided cricket—where the players are 'decently' clad—might be a good way of building ties with the rest of the world, so Afghanistan will apply for an ICC membership, and matches will be held to select a team to represent the country and travel to Pakistan for further coaching.
Then, Rukhsana gets a proposal—rather, an order—from Wahidi, a brutal and ruthless Taliban minister who wants to marry her.
What Wahidi does not know is that Rukhsana (who studied journalism at Delhi University and spent years in Delhi) used to be a star cricketer. What he does not know is that this courageous young woman— along with an army of young male cousins (and Jahan, her brother)— will do anything it takes to somehow form a team that can win the national tournament, and be sent to Pakistan... from where they can make their way to freedom. Or can they? For Rukhsana, her relatives and friends, things may change even as they watch.
I found Timeri N Murari's The Taliban Cricket Club an extremely readable book, virtually impossible to put down. It's a great blend of different genres: suspense, adventure (the cricket match angle gets woven in into an almost Escape to Victory style theme, just as fast-paced and edge of the seat); romance; the very occasional glimpse of humour; the pathos of Rukhsana's dying mother. And, of course, the very vivid, very real horror of a regime utterly, unbelievably tyrannical. An excellent book, very well-written, and immensely satisfying.
July 8, 2012
When I first read the title of this book, I wondered what on earth it could be about. From what I knew about the Taliban, they didn’t appear to have time to play cricket! But as you read this book, with its equal measures of repression, love, humour and intense sadness, you will understand exactly why this name is the perfect title. Murari writes a sensitive book that will have you laughing, crying and cheering in equal measures.
The main character of the novel is Rukshana, a former journalist who is now forced to write undercover using pseudonyms after not being allowed to work under the Taliban regime. Strangely, she is called to a press conference where it announced that Afghanistan will be holding a cricket tournament and the winners are allowed to travel out of the country – unheard of. Rukshana’s cousins decide to form a team for the ultimate prize – and if they win, they’re not coming back. One problem though: Rukshana’s the only person who knows how to play cricket. Enter watching banned cricket videos under the cover of darkness, some daring disguises and the boys begin to learn their new sport. However, the minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has now decided he wishes to marry Rukshana, putting her life at risk. How can Rukshana teach the team to win and evade a forced marriage?
If you loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, you’ll adore this book. Murari balances the descriptions of the severe restrictions forced on the women of Kabul with funny stories of the boys playing cricket and Rukshana’s happier days at university in India. I did have to put down the book several times to compose myself – the injustices that Rukshana faces just because of her sex are difficult to comprehend. Not being allowed to go to the letterbox without as escort is a small but essential freedom denied to her. (Would you rely on your younger brother to post your letters?) What is happier and more amusing, is the ways that the team try to thwart the tyrannies to achieve their freedom – from costumes to fake cousins to practising in the basement.
I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, but please allow yourself adequate time to read and read because you won’t be able to put this down!
The main character of the novel is Rukshana, a former journalist who is now forced to write undercover using pseudonyms after not being allowed to work under the Taliban regime. Strangely, she is called to a press conference where it announced that Afghanistan will be holding a cricket tournament and the winners are allowed to travel out of the country – unheard of. Rukshana’s cousins decide to form a team for the ultimate prize – and if they win, they’re not coming back. One problem though: Rukshana’s the only person who knows how to play cricket. Enter watching banned cricket videos under the cover of darkness, some daring disguises and the boys begin to learn their new sport. However, the minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has now decided he wishes to marry Rukshana, putting her life at risk. How can Rukshana teach the team to win and evade a forced marriage?
If you loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, you’ll adore this book. Murari balances the descriptions of the severe restrictions forced on the women of Kabul with funny stories of the boys playing cricket and Rukshana’s happier days at university in India. I did have to put down the book several times to compose myself – the injustices that Rukshana faces just because of her sex are difficult to comprehend. Not being allowed to go to the letterbox without as escort is a small but essential freedom denied to her. (Would you rely on your younger brother to post your letters?) What is happier and more amusing, is the ways that the team try to thwart the tyrannies to achieve their freedom – from costumes to fake cousins to practising in the basement.
I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, but please allow yourself adequate time to read and read because you won’t be able to put this down!
April 28, 2012
The Taliban Cricket Club is a fictional novel based on an obscure historical truth -- the Taliban briefly promoted cricket in Afghanistan. However despite the seemingly dire subject, the Taliban Cricket Club maintains a light-hearted feel throughout the book. The main character, Rukhsana, is a spirited young lady that seeks to take action where she can to defy the Taliban regime. She gathers a motley crew of cousins to participate in a state sponsored cricket tournament where the first prize is training abroad. The family team is hopeful that the tournament will be their ticket out of the country.
The Taliban Cricket Club slowly evolves as the reader progresses from the usual story of Taliban tyranny to the most unusual stories of ways to defy it. The first half and second half of the novel have two distinct feels with the latter half being a more entertaining read. Although predictable, The Taliban Cricket Club has something for everyone -- from tales of living under the Taliban to action packed sporting passages to hopeful romance. It is an enjoyable and light-hearted read. Had the flow of the novel been more consistent and the story been slightly less predictable, it would have received 4 stars. Recommended for those who enjoy chick lit but are looking to diversify into books with cross-cultural themes.
The Taliban Cricket Club slowly evolves as the reader progresses from the usual story of Taliban tyranny to the most unusual stories of ways to defy it. The first half and second half of the novel have two distinct feels with the latter half being a more entertaining read. Although predictable, The Taliban Cricket Club has something for everyone -- from tales of living under the Taliban to action packed sporting passages to hopeful romance. It is an enjoyable and light-hearted read. Had the flow of the novel been more consistent and the story been slightly less predictable, it would have received 4 stars. Recommended for those who enjoy chick lit but are looking to diversify into books with cross-cultural themes.
January 8, 2013
I'll begin with my conclusion: READ THIS BOOK :)
That said, why the lukewarm rating? This book was captivating to say the least. In a world of rampant Islamophobia, more people need to understand the rise of the Talib. The best way to overcome irrational, ignorant fear is to walk a mile in the shoes of a stranger. In this novel, this stranger happens to be Rukhsana, a strikingly likable girl.
Murari was an expert at building tension and handling the most frightening scenes. I would give five stars to the beginning and early middle of this story. However, the ending read like a Hollywood movie.
Which takes me back to my conclusion, once again. Regardless of the slightly unbelievable ending, READ THIS BOOK.
That said, why the lukewarm rating? This book was captivating to say the least. In a world of rampant Islamophobia, more people need to understand the rise of the Talib. The best way to overcome irrational, ignorant fear is to walk a mile in the shoes of a stranger. In this novel, this stranger happens to be Rukhsana, a strikingly likable girl.
Murari was an expert at building tension and handling the most frightening scenes. I would give five stars to the beginning and early middle of this story. However, the ending read like a Hollywood movie.
Which takes me back to my conclusion, once again. Regardless of the slightly unbelievable ending, READ THIS BOOK.
January 29, 2016
I thought this book was non-fiction when I started it, it seemed so realistic. It is a really good book. A look at life under the Taliban in Afghanistan from a woman's perspective. As she chafes against the oppression of the regime and resents the limits placed upon her life, Rukhsana pines for her previous freedom. She is a journalist who must now practise her profession by working under a pen name and is unable to publish her work in her own country. There can be no criticism of the Taliban and she cannot leave the house unaccompanied or uncovered. Then, there is the opportunity to escape and the unlikely vehicle for this escape is cricket. This is a clever story and I enjoyed every part of it.
May 5, 2025
"All women know how to act from the moment we are born. It's the gift God gave us to survive in this man's world. We have to act out our orgasms, our humility, our love when none exists, and suppress our ambitions."
March 21, 2023
The Sound of Music but with more burqas. A really good story that brought some levity to a very dark context
November 1, 2024
Eloquently written. The entire book reads like a ballad about cricket and love, while still managing to capture the oppressive Taliban regime. Totally recommend!
May 31, 2022
What's more exciting than a fierce tale of an Afghanistani woman, a journalist, in the times of the Taliban?
Rukhsana is a strong and independent woman with a passion for her career and an unassailable sense of duty for her nation. But after Taliban strikes, like all Afghanistani women, she is denied not just working but even the most fundamental rights such as walking freely or without a male companion. The story of "The Taliban Cricket Club" is only partly about a painfully slow wait to be saved by her lover, but majorly, it is about the human instinct for survival and defiance against injustice. To what lengths would you go for your freedom and justice?
Zorak Wahidi, a leader of the Taliban, has only two goals—1. Ban anti-Taliban reporters 2. Have a cricket team that can represent the country—and guess who is the only person in the country who plays cricket? It's our dear Rukhsana. But women can't play cricket in these times!
She gets the crazy idea of teaching her male cousins how to "bat and ball" for their freedom. Their final attempt will be to flee from Afghanistan. But will they be able to do it?
This story has nicely cashed on the historical fact that the Taliban once encouraged cricket in the country to create a "good image" worldwide. This book was one hell of an emotional churning, probably because, like Rukhsana, I am also an independent woman. What would I do if I was in such a situation? I kept thinking.
When I was about to finish this book, I was on a flight, and my Kindle battery died. The restlessness that crept in was incredible! Finally, when I reached home, the first thing I did was put the Kindle on charge and finish the book. I recommend this book for someone who wants to immerse themselves in well-written, nail-biting fiction.
Rukhsana is a strong and independent woman with a passion for her career and an unassailable sense of duty for her nation. But after Taliban strikes, like all Afghanistani women, she is denied not just working but even the most fundamental rights such as walking freely or without a male companion. The story of "The Taliban Cricket Club" is only partly about a painfully slow wait to be saved by her lover, but majorly, it is about the human instinct for survival and defiance against injustice. To what lengths would you go for your freedom and justice?
Zorak Wahidi, a leader of the Taliban, has only two goals—1. Ban anti-Taliban reporters 2. Have a cricket team that can represent the country—and guess who is the only person in the country who plays cricket? It's our dear Rukhsana. But women can't play cricket in these times!
She gets the crazy idea of teaching her male cousins how to "bat and ball" for their freedom. Their final attempt will be to flee from Afghanistan. But will they be able to do it?
This story has nicely cashed on the historical fact that the Taliban once encouraged cricket in the country to create a "good image" worldwide. This book was one hell of an emotional churning, probably because, like Rukhsana, I am also an independent woman. What would I do if I was in such a situation? I kept thinking.
When I was about to finish this book, I was on a flight, and my Kindle battery died. The restlessness that crept in was incredible! Finally, when I reached home, the first thing I did was put the Kindle on charge and finish the book. I recommend this book for someone who wants to immerse themselves in well-written, nail-biting fiction.
October 7, 2012
The year is 2000. Rukhsana is 24. She has returned to Kabul from Delhi, where her father was a diplomat and where she played cricket in college. Rukhsana's mother is dying of cancer. Although Rukhsana was working as a journalist, the Taliban takeover means the end of her work and brutalities to witness every time she leaves the house. Rukhsana and her brother Jahan think only of how to leave Afghanistan.
A very long-shot opportunity comes along when the Taliban-led government decides to improve its image by holding a cricket tournament. Jahan and several cousins form a team. Rukhsana coaches them in a game they've never seen before. Meanwhile, an evil Talib leader has become obsessed with Rukhsana. He and his brother stalk Rukhsana's house to force her to marry him.
This is an escape novel--not escapist, but a book about people who are being hunted as they try to escape. Deadlines imposed by the evil Talib leader add the pressure of a shot-clock ticking down. Rukhsana masquerades as a man, hides in a secret room built into her house (apparently not an unusual feature in Kabul houses). The plot was pure tension and kept me reading along. This book feels like a silent movie--do the sweethearts defeat the cackling villain?
This isn't a book with complex characters or a deep sense of place. For all the terrible things it describes, it manages to keep the tone on the light side, like a sports movie. Rukhsana's family is still fairly privileged and probably don't represent most Afghans. But it's a good story.
A very long-shot opportunity comes along when the Taliban-led government decides to improve its image by holding a cricket tournament. Jahan and several cousins form a team. Rukhsana coaches them in a game they've never seen before. Meanwhile, an evil Talib leader has become obsessed with Rukhsana. He and his brother stalk Rukhsana's house to force her to marry him.
This is an escape novel--not escapist, but a book about people who are being hunted as they try to escape. Deadlines imposed by the evil Talib leader add the pressure of a shot-clock ticking down. Rukhsana masquerades as a man, hides in a secret room built into her house (apparently not an unusual feature in Kabul houses). The plot was pure tension and kept me reading along. This book feels like a silent movie--do the sweethearts defeat the cackling villain?
This isn't a book with complex characters or a deep sense of place. For all the terrible things it describes, it manages to keep the tone on the light side, like a sports movie. Rukhsana's family is still fairly privileged and probably don't represent most Afghans. But it's a good story.
December 8, 2012
Great concept, terribly written! For the first time I was aware a man was writing from the point of view of a woman, because the language and emotions were very off base.
The insider's view of life in Taliban Kabul, especially as an independent woman is quite intriguing. I thought in the hands of a more skilled author, this would have been an amazing read.
The love story, though was way too contrived, and Bollywood-ish.
The insider's view of life in Taliban Kabul, especially as an independent woman is quite intriguing. I thought in the hands of a more skilled author, this would have been an amazing read.
The love story, though was way too contrived, and Bollywood-ish.
February 13, 2016
A well written, engaging read with humour interspersed with some harrowing detail.
Rukhsana is a brave woman in an impossibly hard world. A story of courage and hope in the face of the most oppressive adversity.
Read in 3 sittings it's good, but could be better. Would recommend
Rukhsana is a brave woman in an impossibly hard world. A story of courage and hope in the face of the most oppressive adversity.
Read in 3 sittings it's good, but could be better. Would recommend
August 6, 2012
I loved this book. Just an amazing story... Such a strange storyline. Again showed the courage of humanity when in adversity.
October 11, 2023
Afghanistan under the Taliban
If you've seen Lagaan, you know the story of a motley group of people forming a cricket team and playing a high stakes cricket match. This was similar. With a similar ending too. This is the story of a former journalist who is waiting for her betrowed to send her money to smuggle her out of Afghanistan, and who in the meantime coaches her cousins in cricket because that may be a way of escaping the oppressive regime. It is also the story of how a Taliban leader falls in love with her spirit, and wants to marry her so he can break her and make her his slave. It is the story of a 16 year old who has suddenly become the head of the household, and who is struggling to hold it all together.
But the story is more than just the individual stories. What made it different and interesting was the depiction of Afghanistan under the Taliban. The restrictions on citizens, especially women. Of jobless youth who were forced to drop out of college when the Taliban shut universities down, and who now have nothing to do except dream of escaping the country. Of livelihoods destroyed because the Taliban has decided those professions are unislamic. Of how everyone, male or female, is constantly looking around, worried about who might betray them to the Taliban for an imagined mistake.
There were moments of deep emotion. When they witness a burqa clad woman running to the hospital clutching a sick baby, but is shot dead because she was seen in public without her male escort. When they visit an old beautician who tells them that some of her old clients continue to come to the parlour she runs in her home because looking beautiful under the burqa is their version of defiance. When the authorities break into homes and tear down posters of football players, because that is not permitted- childhood lost.
The book is set in the late 1990s, but it is contemporary, because the same horror has now returned after being dormant for 20 years old.
If you've seen Lagaan, you know the story of a motley group of people forming a cricket team and playing a high stakes cricket match. This was similar. With a similar ending too. This is the story of a former journalist who is waiting for her betrowed to send her money to smuggle her out of Afghanistan, and who in the meantime coaches her cousins in cricket because that may be a way of escaping the oppressive regime. It is also the story of how a Taliban leader falls in love with her spirit, and wants to marry her so he can break her and make her his slave. It is the story of a 16 year old who has suddenly become the head of the household, and who is struggling to hold it all together.
But the story is more than just the individual stories. What made it different and interesting was the depiction of Afghanistan under the Taliban. The restrictions on citizens, especially women. Of jobless youth who were forced to drop out of college when the Taliban shut universities down, and who now have nothing to do except dream of escaping the country. Of livelihoods destroyed because the Taliban has decided those professions are unislamic. Of how everyone, male or female, is constantly looking around, worried about who might betray them to the Taliban for an imagined mistake.
There were moments of deep emotion. When they witness a burqa clad woman running to the hospital clutching a sick baby, but is shot dead because she was seen in public without her male escort. When they visit an old beautician who tells them that some of her old clients continue to come to the parlour she runs in her home because looking beautiful under the burqa is their version of defiance. When the authorities break into homes and tear down posters of football players, because that is not permitted- childhood lost.
The book is set in the late 1990s, but it is contemporary, because the same horror has now returned after being dormant for 20 years old.
May 2, 2020
Not the easiest thing in the world to read, but then that is hardly surprising considering the theme. Yet I did enjoy it. Murari's attempt at a female voice was actually astonishingly good. It avoided painful cliches, allowed for the heroine to be both strong and vulnerable, torn and complex and likeable. She was full of spirit even though she was very afraid. I found her believable and rooting for her and her team was no challenge. The romance, too, was touching and believable. Even though some of the events described in the book are gruesome, the narration manages to still pull you through and keep up a spark of hope in you.
I would have enjoyed a deeper characterisation of the cricket team itself.
I've been trying, recently, to broaden my reading horizons and to look for books that were not written by English or American authors. This might well be my favourite discovery in this project so far.
I would have enjoyed a deeper characterisation of the cricket team itself.
I've been trying, recently, to broaden my reading horizons and to look for books that were not written by English or American authors. This might well be my favourite discovery in this project so far.
September 9, 2018
A beautifully written novel about a young Afghan woman living in a Taliban controlled city. Women, to Talib men, should be seen “only in the home or the grave”. Rukhsana has seen women gunned down in the street for the crime of being without their male protectors, but yet she becomes the coach of the all male Taliban Cricket Club! Rukhsana is a brave, intelligent women who breaks a lot of rules in her search for autonomy, happiness and love, but will she survive?
April 20, 2019
A solid 3 stars for this one. I read it for Read Harder 2019 for the book written by or about journalism. I’d say it was only loosely connected to journalism, as the main character was a journalist who was silenced by the Taliban when they seized power.
I was conflicted with this book. On one hand, as someone who has read the Malala story quite fully, it feels a bit cheap to write a piece of fiction when fact is already so alarmingly brutal. On the other hand, it shed light onto the incredibly painful experience of women in Afghanistan for people who might not know the Malala story.
The book goes into a LOT of detail about cricket, which as an American I have close to zero knowledge about or interest in.
I also felt like I predicted almost everything that happened in the book, which isn’t fun...I like to be surprised here and there! Now the ending, maybe the last 10% was pretty good, and the ending was quite clever.
Overall, a solid 3 stars. Glad I read it, but wouldn’t recommend it to everyone I meet.
I was conflicted with this book. On one hand, as someone who has read the Malala story quite fully, it feels a bit cheap to write a piece of fiction when fact is already so alarmingly brutal. On the other hand, it shed light onto the incredibly painful experience of women in Afghanistan for people who might not know the Malala story.
The book goes into a LOT of detail about cricket, which as an American I have close to zero knowledge about or interest in.
I also felt like I predicted almost everything that happened in the book, which isn’t fun...I like to be surprised here and there! Now the ending, maybe the last 10% was pretty good, and the ending was quite clever.
Overall, a solid 3 stars. Glad I read it, but wouldn’t recommend it to everyone I meet.
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